2015-2016 4x4 Van Options We Never Had Before

[Roughwater]

3 hours ago, beatup said:

I have have some friends who use older toyota 4runners early 2000s models small and easy on fuel and easy to strip out interior and convert to carry all your prospecting tools,good ground clearance.I like my tacoma with a topper it goes anywhere

 Older Toyota 4 runners are often a safe bet.  Mileage not too bad for a 4WD vehicle and most have good ground clearance.  I used older straight 6 landcruizers.  Fuel mileage at best around 16 mpg but pretty awesome off road vehicles.  More roomy than the 4 runners.

I started out to Alaska in a 4 cylinder 4 runner in 2005.  I figured the 4 would get me better fuel mileage.  I drove out to Texas to buy it.  Perfect body and ran Ok.  It made it back to NC with it where I live.  But later when I loaded it up and took it to Alaska I found it was really underpowered.  It would drop clear down to 35-40 by the time I would get near the top of the peaks.  I was holding up the traffic behind me, even holding up the semi's over any large hills or mountains.  Then the couple hundred miles of road work gravel roads loosened all the head bolts and by the time I got to Anchorage it became unreliable and I ended trading it toward a used diesel truck in Anchorage.  I didn't get much for it but I was a long way from home and didn't have much bargaining power.  Long story short if you get one don't get the 4 cylinder if you plan driving it very far.

 I guess the pro's to using a Subaru would be mainly fuel mileage and the pro's to using a older 4 Runner is that it might be a little better at handing the most rugged terrain and assuming it's older a scratch or dent wouldn't be terribly worrisome.   

As to the Subaru off road, it is very capable and sits up higher than most SUV's but not as high as a lifted vehicle so you have to be careful of it bottoming out.  They do make lift kits for them, some are bolt on.  Along with a lift kit you can get higher profile tires also which help.  Like a lot of things there are compromises.  When I was in Ak there were Subaru's driving out the same dirt roads my Diesel 4 WD Truck was struggling to get though.  The Subies would ride on top of most of the muck where the heavy trucks were sinking in.   Attached is the 4 Runner I took up to AK during a several day pit stop at Rye patch NV.  

[tvanwho]

I didn't know there were any lift kits for my Forester? Got a link ? I have NEVER been stuck with mine, altho the stock tires are totally useless in even an inch of snow. I now have 6 years on a set of General Altimax Arctic winter tires which have only wore down 1/32 nd inch in 6 years.Wonder if they will go for 10 years?

In mud holes, my car tends to float over the top of the mud vs sink in.

 There are no skidplates and rocky trails can be quite hazardous. I owned a 91 Toyota 4 Runner, wished I still had it...It got 21 mpg on the highway but the V6 only had 150 ponies and no passing power at hiway speeds, but I loved that electric rear window for ventilation and carrying longer items.  I went to Maine one year to dig for gold on the Swift river with it and slept in back.

[Roughwater]

1 hour ago, tvanwho said:

I didn't know there were any lift kits for my Forester? Got a link ? I have NEVER been stuck with mine, altho the stock tires are totally useless in even an inch of snow. I now have 6 years on a set of General Altimax Arctic winter tires which have only wore down 1/32 nd inch in 6 years.Wonder if they will go for 10 years?

In mud holes, my car tends to float over the top of the mud vs sink in.

 There are no skidplates and rocky trails can be quite hazardous. I owned a 91 Toyota 4 Runner, wished I still had it...It got 21 mpg on the highway but the V6 only had 150 ponies and no passing power at hiway speeds, but I loved that electric rear window for ventilation and carrying longer items.  I went to Maine one year to dig for gold on the Swift river with it and slept in back.

Attached is a link to one lift kit though I am pretty sure there are other brands out there:

http://get-primitive.com/suspension-lift-kits/149-product.html

I owned a 91 Toyota 4 Runner, wished I still had it...It got 21 mpg

21 MPG is really pretty good for an older 4WD vehicle. 

I just took a look under my Subaru and it is a metal plate over the oil pan but not over the trans fluid pan.  It doesn't look like it would be difficult to make one up though.  

Oh, I found one online for an older model

http://get-primitive.com/protection-skidplates/101-front-skid-plate-.html

And they have on for my 2014 model.  Glad you mentioned that I think I'll go ahead and order one.  Looks like it will protect the bottom of the radiator as well.

http://get-primitive.com/protection-skidplates/108-front-skid-plate-.html

Oh again.  Further research revealed this same company makes what they call a triple armor kit, a Font skid plate, a middle skid plate for the Trans and a rear skid plat for the differential and it's all bolt on, no drilling etc.  Pretty cool. 

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f139/2014-xt-primitive-racing-triple-armor-kit-install-360977/

 

 

[tboykin]

I  just can't convince himself to spend over $5000 on a vehicle. I'd rather buy something cheap and fix it up. More money for other toys....

A couple affordable options for sub-$5000 camping/overlanding vehicles-

AWD Astro Van - can be had for a couple grand, lifted for a couple hundred (a build thread with lots of info)

You can find Astro's for dirt cheap locally, and though they lack clearance they actually have decent HP and room for dirt-bound adventures. I've thought about making one into a mini-RV but haven't pulled the trigger yet. NOTE- there is nothing cool about driving an AstroVan, so keep that in mind. Function over form.

My favorite is my daily driver, 1996 Cherokee.

Couple reasons I've owned a few of these - You'll never pay more than $4000 for a clean XJ, and can find them for less than 2k if you look hard enough. You can lift it as high as you want but it's more than capable stock. HO versions put out 195 HP and can tow up to 5k lbs (try that with a new JKU). Classic American boxy construction, looks, sounds, and smells like an SUV. Easy to wrench on, gets about 16mpg, and just will not die. My '89 went over 300k before I scrapped it, the '96 isn't even broken in at 150k.

The previously-mentioned Subies are great, not much clearance though and you'll have to scrape off the "CO-EXIST" bumper sticker.

You can also buy an older E350 Van and add the running gear and suspension from a Ford truck or older SUV if you have the tools and knowhow. Bit of a project though... 

 

 

[Roughwater]

Tboykin, 

That's the ticket if your a do-it- yourselfer. More than one way of looking at things. As you say, If you don't spend a lot on a vehicle you won't have a big car payment so you don't need to worry about the MPG and can afford the gas and extra toys.  I don't think an old couple could manage all those alternations to the vehicle though.  If one has to pay someone else to do all it don't come cheap.  

The Subaru's are kinda low compared to a lifted vehicle but per previous post you can lift them if you like.  

But when you ride in a Subaru you feel so close to heaven you just glide over the rocks and ruts!  

I have an older 90 something Dodge Ram Dakota Sport 4x4 Manum V8.  It has 200K on it but I don't trust it to take out of the county.  When I get back from my long vacation out west I'll look at going over it good, maybe even replace the engine as it has pretty low oil pressure.  It sets up real nice and has good sized flotation off road tires on it. I only paid 2k for it and had it a couple years now but added a couple new tires, exhaust and new battery.  It's my local hunting truck.  

 

 

 

[tboykin]

2 hours ago, Roughwater said:

Tboykin, 

That's the ticket if your a do-it- yourselfer. More than one way of looking at things. As you say, If you don't spend a lot on a vehicle you won't have a big car payment so you don't need to worry about the MPG and can afford the gas and extra toys.  I don't think an old couple could manage all those alternations to the vehicle though.  If one has to pay someone else to do all it don't come cheap.  

The Subaru's are kinda low compared to a lifted vehicle but per previous post you can lift them if you like.  

But when you ride in a Subaru you feel so close to heaven you just glide over the rocks and ruts!  

I have an older 90 something Dodge Ram Dakota Sport 4x4 Manum V8.  It has 200K on it but I don't trust it to take out of the county.  When I get back from my long vacation out west I'll look at going over it good, maybe even replace the engine as it has pretty low oil pressure.  It sets up real nice and has good sized flotation off road tires on it. I only paid 2k for it and had it a couple years now but added a couple new tires, exhaust and new battery.  It's my local hunting truck.  

 

 

 

Nice truck. My dad taught me "you take care of your rig and it'll take care of you." Definitely not everyone has the time or ability to modify their vehicle. But the plus is if you put that time in you will know how to fix it when something goes wrong.

[Roughwater]

3 minutes ago, tboykin said:

Nice truck. My dad taught me "you take care of your rig and it'll take care of you." Definitely not everyone has the time or ability to modify their vehicle. But the plus is if you put that time in you will know how to fix it when something goes wrong.

Very True.  One of the most important things you can do for a vehicle is change the oil Regularly.  I always by the best Synthetic Oil I can get and the best filter.  That's the number one best thing a person can do for their vehicle as it protects it from the inside out.  Back in the day if you got 100 K miles out of a vehicle that was great.  Vehicles have gone up greatly in price but I feel like they are actually more dependable and if you buy the right brands you can expect 300 k miles and better out of a vehicle if you take care of it.  

My wife's 2004 has over 200 K miles on it and the only thing I have done to it is put bulbs, batteries, oil, filters transmission fluid/filter, wiper blades and brakes.  A great vehicle.  But my 2003 Ford Escape 4x4 was the same way over 300 k before it got totaled in a wreck.

[vanursepaul]

1998 GMC Yukon 4wd

10 ply tires

15mpg...

Plenty of room to sleep in and carries lots of gear..roof rack

V8---- strong enough to pull a camper or cargo trailer

Never been stuck

237,000 miles and still running strong

Truck---2400.00 slick inside and out

Camper---I had a 28 footer--4000.00

6400.00 total

Way better than being cramped up in a hippy van...

And diesel may seem better until you have to pay for maintenance etc..

My buddy has a nice 50,000 dollar dodge diesel...But he can't take it anywhere rough because it would run the paint and body..... I can take mine anywhere I want and if I crater it I can go get a new one (used ) for 3-4 grand.

If you are serious about saving money you shouldn't even be thinking of a vehicle that costs that much..... Especially since they are so limited..

We had one when I worked in the oilfields...cramped is all I can say...

But hey, I bought 7000....

So everyone is entitled to spend their pockets how ever they wish in my book...

 

 

 

[Roughwater]

In my daily work I do a lot of driving and happened to come across one of these today:

http://www.runawaycampers.com/pb/wp_63a033d5/wp_63a033d5.html

I thought it might be someones answer for a road trip. Several size options.   You can even get one with air.  They are pretty small but don't weigh much.  You could use it for your equipment or have the sofa bed they sell put in there for sleeping.  Thought it might be cheaper than trying to turn you vehicle into living space?  Cheaper than a new GPX.  

 

[1515Art]

I'm going to need to replace my old friend pretty soon, id like to get one more season out of it and the engine still runs strong after just turning 215000 miles. the engine and drivetrain are the Mercedes part of the Daimler/Chrysler, the sound system and most of the electrical and trim are true Chrysler and long since outperformed their useful lifespan. also and my main complaint with the ML (other than the engine warning alarm) (BING+BING+BING+) (Mercedes needs your money) (ha ha you can't turn me off) is its dislike for having its wheels uneven. i thought it was just a problem with the traction control on mine, but after a little research i found its a common complaint of the need to road build every time the terrain becomes uneven or the wheels will spin, which is near everywhere in gold country. the work around is to hammer the throttle which has a down side now and then.

Jeep is the number 1 rated off road vehicle and best fit for some of the trails I've been driving on and toyota if not far behind in most of the off road reviews... ford raptor, dodge power wagon, subaru, nissan and the list goes on and on

i think id like a jeep best, but it won't pull my boat, so its sell the boat or chose something else. Toyota off road traction control seems to do a pretty good job and it will just barely tow my boat i think with the tow package and 6 cylinder. 

probably if i want to keep the boat I'm going to have to settle for something larger, tundra, dodge, chevy, or ford. sports mobiles are way cool but more than id want to spend for one and not something id want to drive around other than prospecting and id prefer not paying car insurance on something sitting in the driveway.

I'm wish jeep would make the wrangler with a V8 and decent tow capacity, I've seen a few after market swaps for sale, but the sellers are to in love with their creations and want about twice what i think they are worth for something I'm gonna take out and scratch up.